


Best Years of Our Lives

by onoheiwa



Series: Kurofai Week '16 [7]
Category: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle
Genre: Canon Compliant, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Happy Ending, KuroFai Week, Multi, Original Character(s), Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-11-12
Packaged: 2018-08-30 13:51:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8535640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onoheiwa/pseuds/onoheiwa
Summary: The garden was empty when they landed, and the ground shimmered with heat under the late afternoon desert sun. Kurogane flagged down a servant to ask where the princess or her husband could be found and were directed to the courtyard at the front of the castle, the city sprawling out below in all its glory. There they found the kids, Syaoran explaining to a small boy how to properly hold and throw the ball that was gripped in his tiny fist, and Sakura seated on the ground nearby, pink skirts flaring around her like petals.





	

**Author's Note:**

> It didn't turn out as cute and sappy as I wanted, but it's still a happy ending. And I think the quiet subtlety of it suits the canon-verse anyway, so I'm content with it. Hope you enjoy. 
> 
> Title comes from a song on the Tsubasa Chronicle OST by Kajiura Yuki

“Fai-sama, Lord Suwa has returned from his morning rounds. He says he is ready to leave whenever you are.” 

 

Fai looked up from the bed of flowers he was tending with a nod. “Thank you, Saki-san.” 

 

The servant gave a bow and left, her errand complete, and the mage went back to finishing plucking the last few dying anemone blossoms. More than likely Kuro-rin had just walked in the door and still needed to pack the last of his belongings, meaning Fai still had a few minutes. Besides, there was no rush; the kids were expecting them but it wasn’t as if time could be determined with complete accuracy. 

 

A few moments later he stood and brushed the dirt from his knees and turned toward the house, bringing his shoes in with him since they would not be back for awhile. He found Kurogane in their room, folding the last of his clothing into his pack and cinching it tight. The ninja looked over his shoulder at the mage, excitement shimmering in his red eyes, though outwardly he seemed as calm and stoic as ever. “You ready?” 

 

Fai nodded and reached down to grab his own bag from where he had propped it near the door. “Is everyone aware of how long we’ll be gone?” 

 

“As informed as they can be, considering,” Kurogane said. “Noboru knows about as well as I do how the time flow works, which means a handful of days there is about a couple of weeks here. But we don’t really know exactly how long we’re staying anyway, do we?” He gave Fai a pointed look which the mage ignored, knowing full well that the ninja liked leaving the kids as much as he did. Which was to say, practically not at all. He just hid it better. 

 

Fai flashed a guiltless smile and slipped his hand through the ninja’s arm. “Well, we best be on our way as soon as possible then, shouldn’t we?” 

 

Kurogane grunted but offered no protest, leading them out into the yard where there would be room for Fai’s staff to swing around. Celesian script was painted on the air in glowing light, flaring with power and morphing around them like a shell, a tiny pocket dimension to keep them safe as they traveled from one world to another. 

 

~~~ 

 

The garden was empty when they landed, and the ground shimmered with heat under the late afternoon desert sun. A quiet breeze ruffled their clothes and carried with it the crisp scent of apples that always seemed to linger around the palace. Fai inhaled deeply, the fresh, green smell so different from the earth and wood aroma that filled Suwa. He had always found Kurogane, though capable of cheer, to be a more solemn and quiet person as compared to the children who were so lighthearted and bright in personality; the more time he spent in the two lands the more he thought they aptly represented the worlds they came from, right down to the fragrances they carried with them. 

 

The two looked around briefly and saw no one, so they hefted their bags and strode toward the nearest entrance; they knew the way. Kurogane flagged down a servant a few minutes later to ask where the princess or her husband could be found and were directed to the courtyard at the front of the castle, the city sprawling out below in all its glory. There they found the kids, Syaoran explaining to a small boy how to properly hold and throw the ball that was gripped in his tiny fist, and Sakura seated on the ground nearby, pink skirts flaring around her like petals. 

 

Syaoran spotted them first. “Kurogane! Fai! You’re here!” 

 

“Hey kid,” Kurogane said, striding forward the ruffle the younger man’s hair before crouching in front of the boy. “So, Ashura, you remember me?” 

 

Large green eyes stared up at him for a long moment, flicking over to Fai where he had sat in the grass next to Sakura, before looking back to meet Kurogane’s steady gaze. “Yeah,” he nodded. “You’re Kurogane and Fai.” 

 

Fai smiled to himself as he watched Kurogane ruffle the child’s hair just as he always did with Syaoran, a grin plastered on his face. The ninja joined in on the game of catch, folding his large frame onto the ground so Ashura did not have to throw the ball so high and the mage watched on. After a long moment Sakura leaned into his side and he wrapped an arm around her waist and leaned his head atop of hers. 

 

“It’s good to see you both again,” she said, quiet and peaceful. 

 

He hummed in his throat and turned his gaze down to the bundle in her lap. “And how long has it been since this one earned her freedom?” He ran the back of his fingers across soft brown hair and a pudgy cheek and made the baby snuffle in her sleep. 

 

Sakura’s voice held a smile when she answered. “About three weeks ago. This is actually the first time Syaoran’s let me outside and I think that was only because he knew how angry I would be if I wasn’t here to greet the two of you when you arrived.” 

 

Fai chuckled and squeezed her side lightly but let the subject lie. “Have you named her yet?” 

 

“No,” she shook her head. “We… we actually wanted to ask Kurogane if… if he would let us call her after his mother. But we don’t know her name and we thought it better to ask in person, especially after how we rushed into naming Ashura before checking with you first...” She hesitated for a long moment, thoughts brewing. “...So Syaoran says he’s not sure if Kurogane would be okay with it, that he might not be ready for a constant reminder like that.” 

 

Fai turned away from the baby and looked to his Lord, watched as the man’s face lit up again and again with bright laughter and wide grins, expressions so scarce when the met but found more and more frequently as time passed. He remembered rumbled confessions late at night over the space between their futon, memories of fish for a weak body and quiet rebukes in the dark and a strong man kissing his beloved’s hair; the fond memories of a happy childhood and remarkable parents. He thought of how often those stories were coming out lately, how much freer and open their words flowed and how little their pasts still haunted them. 

  
Fai watched the three males tumbling around in the grass, laughing, and felt the warmth of the two bodies next to him and leaned his head back against Sakura’s hair and smiled. “No,” he said. “No, I think we’ll be okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on [tumblr](onoheiwa.tumblr.com).


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